Chapter Nineteen
We stayed silent as we ascended. I puffed out my cheeks as Rowan looked at me but the elevator dinged and the girls got out. I walked out with them. “Where are you going?” Rowan grabbed my arm.
“They’re shifted…” I looked at him with furrowed brows. “They can’t open their door. I’m going to open it for them.” I shook him off. “Keep the elevator open.” I walked to their door and punched in their code, swinging their door open. “Call me when you get back to your packs.”
They both nodded and went inside. Hanna turned back. “Be careful.” I blew her a kiss and went back to the elevator. I slid in and pressed the top floor again.
Rowan opened his mouth, but I shook my head.
He was obviously frustrated at me, but I wasn’t going to talk until I got into my place.
The doors opened, and we headed to my door.
I unlocked it and the two followed me in.
Toya headed straight to my bedroom, looking for something to wear for now, and I went to the kitchen.
“What the fuck is going on?” Rowan snarled and I laughed.
“So much.” I grabbed a couple bottles of water as I sealed the room. “Let’s start with the basics while Toya gets presentable.” I walked out and handed him a bottle. “Erubus?”
He sighed. “Yeah. Nix?” I nodded. I watched him deflate. “I had no idea.”
I lifted my shoulder. “I want to say it was for the best, but lying doesn’t make it easier.” He laughed.
“We are stupid.”
I nodded. “But it probably is for the best.” I saw hurt flash in his eyes. “We both have things we have to work through, and being hung up on each other would get in the way.” I smiled through the pain. My words were cutting through all the anger I had built up this last year.
He nodded. “Verity…”
“Is a witch.” I finished.
He sighed and rubbed his neck. He paced away from me and nodded. “Yeah, she is really awful.”
“No.” I started to laugh. “She is like me. She has powers.” He whirled to face me, but Toya walked out and snarled.
“Yes, she fucking does.” Toya stomped to the sofa and dropped.
“What do you mean?” Rowan walked to the love seat, leaving my chair open for me.
“She played around in my mind.” Toya snarled again. She was still pissed. “She bumped into me at graduation.” Toya wiggled her finger. “Then she latched onto me and wormed her way in. Whispering bullshit about Amy and eating away at our bond until I attacked her.”
Rowan looked at me as I settled in my chair. I waved his concern off. “I fought her off. But the truth came to light. Verity is related to Aurora and Amara.” He looked confused. “Aurora, the one I tortured.”
“The one that tried to take over your father’s pack.”
“The one and the same. The twins are Verity’s younger sisters.” Rowan’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s a long story, but that isn’t why I wanted to talk to you. She isn’t stupid. And she is most definitely using magic against you.”
Rowan nodded. “I haven’t been myself in a long time.” He sighed. “But I have a way to remind myself.” It was my turn to be confused. He just waved me off. “The rebuilding?”
I nodded. “We all know everyone is still alive.” He nodded. “But I have to be able to come and go as I need. So I want to pretend to rebuild, as will Toya. But in truth, Toya and Wendy will help me watch Carly, while I’ll have more freedom to move.”
“I doubt Vince will like it.”
“Probably not, but I think I have a solution. I’ll take the position, and ‘stay’ on pack lands. But I say that you are deciding if I am allowed to move to my father’s pack lands.”
“If I allow it?” He snorted. “We both know I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”
I laughed. “True, but no one else knows that. You can say you need to determine if it is safe for a new pack to grow on my father’s lands with the threat of the rogues still in that area.”
He thought about it. Then nodded. “I can do that. Plus, it will give Vince some hope that Brandon will have time to win you over.” I winked and pointed at him. “You won’t, right?”
I shook my head. “Not a chance.” Then I stood. “One last thing.”
Rowan looked at me. “What is it?”
“You can’t tell anyone about what we talked about.” I grimaced.
He nodded. “Do it.” He closed his eyes as I walked over.
I placed my finger on his head and sent my intention through his mind. This conversation, our plan, will remain hidden from any outside source. “Lata sur ben shi na.” The magic whipped his hair around, and for a fleeting moment, I wished I could run my fingers through it.
I stepped back. My fingers aching, but my resolve hardened by the minute. Rowan stood, looking back toward the door. “How are you going to play this?”
I thought about it for a minute. “I’m going to play the fence.
” He just tilted his head. “I’m going to act like I want to rebuild, but that you are refusing me.
You won’t allow anyone into the pack lands because of rogues, so I have to figure out another choice, another path until you allow me back onto my pack lands. ”
“Why?”
“Because it will do two things. Give Vince some security that I hate you. He won’t trust me if we are still close. And I need him to trust me enough to allow me close.”
Rowan nodded. “It’s one reason your father, and I created space.” I nodded. I figured it was a part of the truth, but it didn’t hurt any less. “The second thing?”
“It will give him something he secretly wants.” I stretched my back out.
“What’s that?”
“A way to get more power without giving any up.” I twisted my back until it popped.
“If he thinks he can control me via Brandon, then that is what he will do. But if we are honest, Vince doesn’t want to step down for Brandon.
He will, because in reality he will still be in charge, but he doesn’t want to.
Brandon is an idiot. And if Vince has to pretend to follow his lead, it will chip away at him.
But if Brandon could say, become Alpha of another pack… ”
“Then Vince can stay Alpha of Oakenfang.” Rowan finished slowly. His eyes snapped to mine. “That’s…”
“That’s fucking insane.” Toya finished, her voice held a dawning horror. “But that would hook Vince faster than anything else.” I nodded because she was right. “If Vince could control two packs, and have your money at his fingertips, he would be very happy.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m going to dangle in front of him.”
Rowan rubbed his jaw. “You have to be smart about it.” I wanted to roll my eyes, but he continued. “And I know you will be. But maybe…”
“Maybe what?” I took a drink.
Rowan waved his hands. “Vince doesn’t know how well off your father’s pack was.” Rowan was working through an idea, and Toya and I just smiled.
“No, he doesn’t.” I added.
“He still doesn’t trust you.” Rowan shot me a look, and I shook my head.
“He won’t, not fully.” I shook my head.
“But if he thinks he can control you…” I pointed at him and nodded. “That’s your aim.”
I nodded again. “Brandon was rejected by his mate, but he hasn’t really made it known.”
“How do you know?” Rowan interrupted me.
I shot a look at Toya. She nodded. “Well, I know for a few reasons. First, Brandon told me yesterday when he asked me to give him a shot.” Toya snorted.
Then she pointed at me. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s the one that rejected him.” She cackled, and I smiled.
“Brandon is your mate?” Rowan’s voice was soft.
I smiled, and I could feel how viscous it was. “Not anymore. He was never going to be my mate, not after everything.”
Rowan furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
I tilted my head. Something was off. “I’ll explain it after everything is said and done.” He looked at me with wounded eyes.
“You don’t trust me.”
I sighed. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that…” I trailed off, looking at Toya for some help. Then I turned to him, biting my lips, trying to pick my words.
Toya sighed as she stood. “It’s exactly that she doesn’t trust you.” I snapped my head to Toya, but she was staring at Rowan. “And you can’t blame her.”
“What?” Rowan looked confused.
“Toya.” I hissed.
“No. It’s about fucking time I said something.”
“Watch your tone,” Rowan growled.
Toya snarled. “No. You came into Amy’s life and made yourself important.
You were both nauseatingly, glaringly in love with each other.
But I respected you because you wanted to make sure your wolves were happy.
But then Amy went into heat and you left her to burn,” Toya snarled.
“And I hated you for it. Despite that, I respected the love you had for your wolf.” Toya stepped closer, her voice dropping low.
“But then you fucking disappeared. You ripped out her heart, and you fucking ghosted her. And I was the one to pick up her pieces. You sent random gifts, sure, but did that do anything? Absolutely not.”
“That’s not fair. We have a plan.”
She scoffed. “Your fucking plan. Not her plan, not ours. You and her father made the plan, but you cut her off. You were supposed to help her learn to hack, but she found someone else for that. You turned your back. You left. And now you’re back and you have a fiancée?”
Rowan snarled, but Toya wasn’t done. “You and her father created this pit of a plan because you’re older, you know better. But you miscalculated.”
“We are older, and we do know better.” He countered. “So please, tell me, how did we miscalculate?”
Toya narrowed her eyes. “You held back because your wolf was infatuated with another, but my bet is that Erubus wanted Nix. You had Amy, and he could have had Nix and you wasted it.” Toya snarled.
“You held yourself back from the one person you truly wanted because of a wolf who was the same person. If you had less restraint, you and Amy could have been mated by now.” His face fell, and he shot me a look.
“Now you’re mated to a bitch who is controlling you, and Amy…
” Toya looked at me. “Amy deserves better. She deserves someone who will choose her…every time.”
“That’s enough.” I whispered, but both turned to me. “Rowan, I think it’s time for you to leave. Your fiancée is probably waiting for you.” I turned to Toya and just shook my head. “I’m going to pack the rest of my stuff.”
“Amy…” Rowan reached for my hand, but I stepped back.
“When you go downstairs, can you act arrogantly? I really need this to work.” I nodded to him once and turned away.
Toya scoffed. “He doesn’t have to act.” I heard her walk to the door.
“My King.” She opened the door and stood there.
I could feel Rowan’s eyes on my back as I turned into my room.
I went to my bags and pulled them to the door.
I would stay back here until I was sure he was gone.
“My King?” Toya called again, only this time it was a little more forceful.
There were footsteps down the hall and I walked into my bathroom as my bedroom door swung open. “Amy?” Rowan was panting, eyes wild.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes?” I turned to see him filling the doorway.
“I know I have no right to ask this of you.” He took a step closer to me. “But please…don’t make any lasting decisions until this is all over.”
I looked at him. “Rowan, please just go back to your fiancée.” my voice a mixture of tired and hurt.
“I don’t give a fuck about her. Just promise me.” He stared at me with eyes full of something I couldn’t decipher.
“Fine.” I turned back to my shower, pulling my toiletries. “Now go.”
I heard him inhale, and then he was gone. The front door slammed and then Toya was in the doorway. “He’s gone.” I nodded. “Are you okay?” Her words were soft, and I laughed, but the tears came too.
“I’m stupid.” I swatted at the tears that were betraying me.
Toya walked closer and wrapped me in her arms. “Absolutely not.” She patted my back as I tried to pull back the tears.
I pulled back and laughed. “All he does is hurt me.” I smacked my head. “And I still cry over him.” My hand rubbed my chest. “I am stupid.”
“Honestly, this is better than what you have been doing this last year.” Toya wiped my tears.
“I’d rather you facing your emotions than bottling them up and pretending you don’t feel them.
” She smiled, and pressed her forehead against mine.
“This is the real you.” She pulled back and stared into my eyes.
“What you were before. The cold, calculating woman, while she was a badass, she was also fake.”
I pulled back and wiped my face on my shirt. “I thought I was pulling it off.” I chuckled.
She joined me. “You did, and the rest of us played along. But we were just waiting.”
“Waiting?”
She ran her hand down my hair. “For you to break.” She tugged at the ends. “You held on for longer than I thought you would. But you can’t keep running from this…from him.” She sighed. “You both need to face each other. And you both need to be honest with each other and yourselves.”
“He is engaged.” I started, and she scoffed.
“Its obvious it’s a part of your father’s plan. I like him, but the man is stupid. Both of them.” She shook her head, sending her braids flying.
“Do you really hate him?” I pushed out of her arms and settled against the counter.
Toya sighed. “Not really. I hate how he treats you. I hate how their plans leave you like this. But I don’t hate him, not really.” She leaned against the wall across from me. “I want to hate him because of what he’s done to you. But…”
“He’s our King.” I finished.
She shook her head. “If it was just that, I would hate him. There aren’t really many monarchs that are liked in history. But he’s honestly a nice guy, and he’s intelligent. He’s just.” She trailed off.
“Stupid.” she blurted out.
“Stupid.” I sighed and froze. Then we burst out laughing.